Beyond the Empire

Starred review from October 16, 2017
The final installment of Wagers’s Indranan War space adventure trilogy has all of the best qualities of the previous books: nerve-wracking action on the ground and in space, dark humor, and the characters’ til-the-end loyalty to one another. Hailima “Hail” Bristol was perfectly happy living life anonymously as a gunrunner until her relatives, the royal family of the Indranan Empire, were murdered by a mysterious figure. Hail reluctantly took the throne and became the head of the Indranan army amid political intrigue. Now the clever and lethal skills she learned in her years away—and the network of gunrunners and other underworld characters she built—are brought fully to bear as she fights to reclaim her home world and destroy the person who slaughtered her family. In this installment, Hail is tempered by loss and sacrifice, but still laser-sharp, cunning, and ready to jump into a fight if circumstances require it. This is a satisfyingly thunderous end to Hail’s quest for vengeance that makes an excellent addition to any SF collection. Readers will be left hoping they’ll see Hail again someday. Agent: Andy Zack, Zack Company.

October 15, 2017

In her third and final outing, gunrunner-turned-empress Hail Bristol is dodging assassins from her own Indranan Empire who wish to eliminate the matriarchy, while at the same time dealing with invasion threats from the Saxons, who have been bombing Indranan planets. For Hail, the most pressing concern is finding Wilson, the man who killed her family and seems to be pulling the strings in these plots against her. Never one to shrink from a challenge, Hail embraces the royal role she never wanted in order to win the hearts of her people and secure her throne. VERDICT Coming to a satisfying conclusion, Wagers's high-octane space opera trilogy (Behind the Throne; After the Crown) is particularly appealing for its relationships that Hail, who found difficulty in adjusting to her new life, has developed with her team of supporters and surrogate family of loyal bodyguards and servants.--MM

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2017
In this conclusion to the Indranan War series, following After the Crown (2016), gunrunner-empress Hail Bristol works to regain control of her empire and get revenge on Wilson, the man responsible for the death of her family. The final installment sets a deliberate pace, as Hail must marshal her scattered forces and deal with the ongoing threat of the Saxon Empire before heading back to her home planet to free political hostages and retake her throne. Will she be able to figure out Wilson's true identity and counter his plots before she loses everyone close to her? Wagers juggles a dizzying array of characters in this satisfying series finale, managing to portray Hail as a vulnerable and fierce hero as she faces ethical dilemmas, tactical puzzles, and threats from all angles. Some unresolved plot points will likely be addressed in the sequel trilogy from Wagers (scheduled to begin fall 2018). For readers who enjoy action and political intrigue with their space opera, and fans of Ann Aguirre, Rachel Bach, and Ann Leckie.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)